Family Seeks $25,000 in Wrongful Death Suit for Chemical Exposure

By Monica Galvan

Published on May 25, 2007

Minnie Cooper died at age 32, 11 days after the 2005 explosion of the Praxair, Inc. plant. Cooper, who suffered from asthma, was allegedly exposed to toxic fumes released in the wake of the explosion as she waited for the bus, rode the MetroLink, and walked home. Her children are now seeking more than $25,000 in compensation, plus funeral costs and attorney fees.

A medical examiner cited lack of oxygen to the brain as the cause of death, further stating that an asthma attack prompted by inhalation of toxic fumes and smoke was the underlying factor in Cooper’s death. Praxair representatives would not comment on the lawsuit.

The industrial fire, which took some five hours to contain, was probably started by static electricity as gas seeped out of a propylene tank, according to an assessment by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The explosion sent chemical-filled tanks into the air, scattering debris into surrounding neighborhoods. The Praxair plant at that location will remain permanently closed.

So far this is the only death or injury blamed on the episode. The St. Louis Circuit Court will hear the case.

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